Bottle capping machine



`lam. 3, 1956 Filed Sept. 29, 1950 l. L. WILCOX ETAL BOTTLE CAPPINGMACHINE l1 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 3, 1956 Filed Sept. 29 1950 a. l.. wlLcOxET AL 2,729,379

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE 1l Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. AMA@ jl/.z @0X s?@Um/n @n @mi MWLM/@M Jan- 3, 1955 l. l.. wlLcOx ET AL 2,729,379

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE 11 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 29, 1950 I. L.WILCOX ET AL BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE `fam.` 3, 1956 1l Sheets-Sheet 4Filed Sept. 29, 1950 Jan. 3, 1956 l. L. wlLcox ETAL BOTTLE CAPPINGMACHINE 11 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 29, 1950- Jan. 3, 1956 1. L.wlLcox ET AL BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed sept. 29, 195ov 11Sheets-Sheet 6 Jan. 3, 1956 L.. WILCOX ET AL BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE 1lSheets-Sheet 7 Filed Sept. 29. 1950 IN VEN TOR. fm1@ Jy/601175 YMiam/fix @am Hwa/www' Jan. 3, 1956 l. L.. wlLcox ET AL BOTTLE CAPPINGMACHINE 1l Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed sept. 29, 195o NE o uw@ w i 0 F 0 MMM na l. A f W mi h w yy e 5S: 4. f.

.III I Jan. 3, 1956 l. L. wlLcox ETAL BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE 11Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Sept. 29, 1950 Jan. 3, 1956 l. wlLcox ET AL BOTTLECAPPING MACHINE ll Sheets-Sheet l0 Filed sept. 29, 195o Q 1 .1 OOO GNONMJan. 3, 1956 l; L. wlLCOx ET AL BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE ll Sheets-Sheet1/1 Filed Sept. 29 1950 United States Patent BorrLn CAPPING MACHINEIsaac L. Wilcox, Fulton, and Nathaniel S. Cole, Baldwinsville, N. Y.,assignors to Oswego Falls Corporation, Fulton, N. Y., a corporation ofNew York Application September 29, 1950, Serial No. 187,472

6 Claims. (Cl. 226 83) This invention relates to bottle capping machinesand more particularly to a machine for applying hood or cover all capsto the tops of milk bottles.

. The invention has as an object a capping machine embodying aparticularly compact structure, economical to manufacture, making themachine particularly suited for operation in small dairy plants.

The invention has as a further object a cap vtransfer and feedingmechanism, permitting the caps to be manufactured with the skirtportions of the caps depending and the caps stacked in a supply magazineright side up.

The invention has as a further object a cap closing or sealing headwherein the cap contracting jaws are mounted for free independentmovement radially of the bottle for contracting the skirt of the capagainst the neck of the bottle regardless of. any irregularities in theform or shape of the bottle.

Other objects and advantages of the machine will be apparent from thefollowing description and the structures disclosed in the drawings.

The invention consists, in the novelA features and in the combinationsand constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

in describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views.

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a capping machine embodying ourinvention, with parts broken away and parts shown in section.

Figure 2 is a view taken on line 2 2, Figure l.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view with parts in section, lookingtoward the left, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view taken on line 4 4, Figure l.

Figure 5 is a view taken on line 5 5, Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view takenl on line'6 6, Figure 4.

Figure 7 is an enlarged front elevational view of the bottle detectingmechanism.

Figure S is a sectional View taken on line 8 8, Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9 9, Figure 4.

Figure l0 is a View taken on line id Figure 9.

Figure 1l is a view taken on line 11 11, Figure 4.

Figure 12 is a sectional view of the cap contracting head taken on line12 12, Figure 3.

Figure l13 is a vertical sectional view of the capping head taken online 13 13, Figure l2.

Figure 14 is a View taken on line 14 14, Figure l2.

Figure .18 isa view,` similar to'Figure 16, showing thecapremovedfromthe magazine. Y

Figure. I9 is a View, .similar to Figure 127, showing the cap transfermember` moved upwardly to move the skirt of the withdrawn cap engagingthe lower end of the magazine.

, Figure 20 isa view, similar to Figure 19, showing the cap re-enteredin the. lowerend of theA magazine, with the skirt portion of the cap4depending downwardly.

Thefm'achine is supportedupon a base member 20 having adjustableV legmembers 21. lThe cap supply magazine, cap heating and transfermechanisms, and the cap applying head ,are mounted upon'a frame orlsupporting member 22 carried by posts y23 extending upwardly from thebase 2t) infwhicli' 'they' are'slidably mounted'. The .supportingmember22 overhangs the base 20 and is adjusted vertically by ymeans of a screw24, .the upper end of which is threaded inte. lefsu'pport member r22,the screw being rotated by a hand wheel 25.

An'elongated casting -30 is ixedly mounted on the base Ztl and.has-affixed to its`upper surface a plate 31 forming an elongatedbottlefguideway, along which the bottles are advancedjbelow the supportingmember 22. The bottles are initially positioned on a rotating in-feedtable 32 which is rotated in the direction of the arrow 33, Figure 4, tomove 'the bottles onto the guide plate 31 by means of guide rails l34,35. The bottles are intermittently advanced along ,the guideway by abottle advancing member36 toa bottle elevator 37.

A tubular cap supply magazine 4 0 is. mounted vertically in the supportmember 22" toward the rear side o the machine. The caps are successivelywithdrawn from the lmagazine and depositedupon a disk 41 which isrotated intermittently and which advancesv the caps in registrationbelow a cap applying head designated generally 43. The .head4 43 ismounted in registration abovethe bottle elevator 37. Asy eachbottleis.positionedv upon the elevator 37, a conditioned capfispositioned in registration between the top of the bottle .and theapplying head 43. The bottle is then moved upwardly by the elevator.removing the cap from the cap carying disk 41 and moving it into y thecap applying head whichtunctions to apply the cap Figure 15 is a topplan view of the cap contracting* finger spacing insert.

Figure l is an elevational View of the cap supplying magazine andmechanism for withdrawing the caps and depositing the same in the capcarrier, with the lower portion of the magazine, cap carrier and captransfer, 'l

to the top of the. bottle and contract the. skirt of the cap about theneck of the bottle.

The machine is operated by a motor 46 mounted upon brackets 47, 48 and49, Vattachf'zdto the frame 22. The motor is provided witha selfcontained gear reduction Si) having a verticallyarranged output shaft 5lextend- .ing downwardly ,through support 22 andconnected at its lowerend.by .a telescoping arrangement to a shaft 52 journalled in abearing`bracket54. secured to the base 20. A sprocket 59 is secured tothe. lower end of the shaft 52. A driving chain 60 is trained over thesprocket 59 and also over sprockets 61,'v 62. The sprocket 61 is vfixedto the lower end of a shaft 64 journalled in a bracket 65 secured to thecasting 30 and extending rearwardly therefrom. The. shaft 64.1s retainedin the bearing bracket 65 by a collar 67, see Figures 5, 6 and 9.A Y

The sprocket 62 istixed to a shaft 68 also journalled in abracket 69fixed. to the under side of the casting 30, the shaft being retainedagainstdownward movement by a collar '11.and has aixed toits lower end apinion 72 meshing with a gear 73. Thegear is txed to the lower end of ashaft 74 journalled in the bracket 69 and also in the casting 30, and tothe upper vend of the shaft 74 there is atlxed the irl-feed bottle table32. The bearing bracket 69 is mounted for rotation about the shaft 7 4and is tixedly secured to the casting 30 as byla clamping screw 77. Thepurpose of this adjustmentis, to properly tension the drive chain 60.With this arrangement, the shafts 64, 68 and 74 are .rotatedcontinuously.

cavities 80, 81, and the forward end with a circular recess 82. Theadvancing member is moved inwardly over the guide rail plate 31,aslshown in Figure 4, at which time there is a'bottle positioned at B inregistration with the concavity 80. The advancing member is' then movedforwardly, or to the right Figure 4, moving that bottle to position C.The advancing member is then moved outwardly from the guideway 31 out ofbottle engaging relation and then rearwardly or to the left the samedistance that it advanced forwardly, and itis then moved inwardly overthe bottle guideway and forwardly advancing the bottle from position Cto the elevator 37, and simultaneously advancing a new bottle fromposition B to posi- OII C. f

The accumulation of bottles on the table 32 are motivated between theguide rails 34, 35, until a bottle reaches position A at which time itengages an arm 84 pivotally mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 64.The arm 84 is provided intermediate its ends with a laterally extendingprojection 86, Figures 4', 9 and 10, which is normally maintained inengagement with a block 87 depending from the under side of an arm 88which extends radially from a shaft 89 journalled vertically in thebracket 65 in spaced relation to the shaft 64. The arm 88 has a stud 90extending upwardly through an arcuate slot 91 formed in a plate 92 whichalso extends radially from the shaft 89 over the in-feed table 32. Theupper end of the stud is threaded to receive alock nut 93. Thisstructure permits adjustment of the plate 92 relative to the arm 88. v

An arm 94 is fixed to the lower end of the shaft 89 and is pivotallyconnected to a link 95 formed with a slot 96 intermediate its ends forsliding engagement with the shaft 64, and having mounted at its outerend a roller 97 engaging a cam 98 fixed on the shaft 64. The cam 98 ismounted on a hub member 99 which is pinned to the shaft, and the cam 98is adjustable by means of screws 100, as will be apparent. A coiltension spring 101 is secured at one end to an arm 102 xedly secured tothe shaft 89. The opposite end of the spring is attached to a leverhereinafter referred to. This spring functions to yieldingly urge theplate 92 in a counter-clockwise direction, Figure 4.

The arm 84 is normally rotated in a clockwise direction, Figure 4, by`the frictional engagement of the arm with the upper end of the rotatingshaft 64. This maintains the members 86, 87, in engagement and they forma latch to prevent the spring 101 from actuating the plate 92. When abottle has been ladvanced by the rotating table 32 to the position Ainto engagement with the free 'end of the arm 84,the amt is moved in acounter-clockwise direction Figure 4, or in a clockwise direction in thebottom plan View Figure l0, thus disengaging the members 86, 87. Thispermits the spring 101 to actuate the plate 92 but because of thelinkage 94, 95 and the cam 98, movement of thc plate 92 can only be intimed relation to the rotation of the shaft 52. Movement ofthe plate 92functions to advance the bottle from position A to posi` tion B. Inposition B, the bottle is in registration with the concavity 80 of thebottle' advancing member 36, when the same has reached the limit of itsreturn stroke, as shown in Figure 4. With this arrangement, each bottleis advanced in timed relation vto the operation of the bottle advancingmember 36.

The advancing member 36 is slidably mounted upon a rod 110 supported atits ends by brackets 111 attached to the base 20. The member 36 isdetachably secured to posts 112, as by clamp screws 113. These postsextend upwardly from a casting 1 14fwhich is slidably mounted uponthevrod 110 and which provided, intermediate the posts 112, with a pin'l116 onwhich is' journalledv a rectangular block' 117,v slidably`mounted in the forked end portion 118 of a lever'119.v The inner end ofthe lever 119 is pivotally mounted upon'a stud 122 extending upwardlyfrom the base and a roller 123 is mounted intermediate the ends of thelever for engagement with a cam 124 mounted upon the shaft 52. One endof the spring 101, previously referred to, is attached to the lever 119,as at 128, this spring also serving to maintain the roller 123 againstthe periphery of the cam 124. With this arrangement, the bottleadvancing member 36 is reciprocated lengthwise of the bottle guideway onthe rod 110.

A collar is slidably mounted upon the rod 116 and is formed with aradial projection 131 to which is secured an eye bolt 132 extendingthrough a plate 133 attached to the member 114. A coil compressionspring 134 is positioned on the bolt between the plate 133 and adjustingnuts 135, see Figures 4 and 11. The collar 130 has a depending arm 136,the lower end of which inclines inwardly, as at 137. A spring 138functions to yieldingly rotate the collar 130 to move the bottleengaging member 36 outwardly to the dotted line position indicated at140, Figure ll.

The bottle elevator 37 is mounted on the upper end of a shaft 142mounted for vertical sliding movement in the casting 30. The lower endof the shaft is slotted to receive an actuating link 143, thisconnection being in the nature of a block 144 mounted on a pin 145, theblock being engaged by the bifurcated end of the lever 143 which ispivotally mounted at its opposite end to a bracket 148 depending fromthe under side of the casting 30.

The bottle elevating plate 37 is supported by a circular block 150provided with apertures on opposite sides of the shaft 142 and in whichare positioned coil compression springs 151, the lower portion of thesesprings being positioned in alined recesses formed in the bed casting30. A plate 153 is attached to the block 150 as by screws 154, and hasattached to its lower end a rod 155 extending parallel to the supportingrod 110. The arrangement is such that when the bottle elevator is movingdownwardly to lowered position, as shown in Figures 1 and 11, the rod155 engages the lower angular portion 137 of the arm 136, moving thecollar 130 in a counterclockwise direction about the shaft 110. Thismovement effects a similar movement of the bottle engaging member 36through the eye bolt 132 and spring 134. The purpose of the spring 134is to prevent breakage of a bottle in the event the same is notpositioned in registration with the concavities 80, 81, 82, as will beapparent. When the bottle elevator is moved upwardly to the dottedposition indicated at 156, Figure 11, spring 138 effects inward movementof the carrier 36 to the dotted outline 140 in which position it willnot engage bottles positioned on the guideway, and while in thisposition the member is moved rearwardly by the lever 119 and cam 124. Aswill be apparent, the reciprocation of the bottle advancing member andvertical movement of the bottle elevator are carried out in timedrelation.

The springs 151 serve to yieldingly move the bottle elevator upwardly,this upward movement being permitted by a cam mounted on a shaft 161extending transversely below the bed casting 30 and being journalled independing brackets 162. The periphery of this cam 160 is engaged by aroller 163 mounted intermediate the ends of the lever 143, see Figures 5and ll. A miter gear 165 'is affixed to the inner end of the shaft 161and meshes lvancing member by an outer guide rail 170. The bottle isadvanced from the elevator 37 by engagement with thc next precedingbottle advanced to the elevator, the advancing procession continuingalong the guideway between the rai1.170 and an inner rail 171. The guiderails 34, 170, 171, are formed with horizontally extending studs ,172'slidably mounted in support members 173, lwhereby the rails-can beadjusted'laterally `across the guideway for bottles of differentdiameters and xed in adjusted position by clamping screws 174.

As previously stated, the supply of caps 175 is arranged in stackformation in the tubular magazine 40, the lower end of this magazinebeing formed with a plurality of inwardly extending projections 176 tosupport the stack of caps. These caps are dished, or cupped, with theirskirt portions extending downwardly, as shown in Figures 16, 17. Thecaps are withdrawn successively through the lower end of the magazine 40and deposited in cap carrying members 177 carried by the disk 41. Thedisk 41 is mounted upon the lower end of a shaft journalled verticallyin a boss 178 formed in the head casting 22, and the upper end of thisshaft has a Geneva 179, the slots of which are engaged by a drivingcrank 180 mounted on a shaft journalled vertically in the head support22 and to which there is aixed a gear 181` meshing with a gear 182 iixedto the motor output shaft 51. This vertical shaft, to which the crank180 and gear 181 is mounted, has aixed to its upper end a miter gear 184arranged in mesh with a similar gear 185 mounted on a horizontal shaft186 journalled in bearing brackets 47, 49, Figures 2 and 3.

A lever 190 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends to a portion ofthe bracket 49 and'is provided at one end with a roller 191 engaging acam 192 adjustably mounted on the shaft 186. The opposite end of thelever190 is pivotally connected to a rod 195 slidably mounted forvertical movement in the head casting 22 and having aflxed to its lowerend an arm 196, see Figures 2, 3 and `16. A stem 197 is mounted on thearm 196' and carries a suction cup 198 of yieldable materiaL-such asrubber, and which is positioned in registration withthe magazine 40. Thestem 197 is formed with a central passage 199 com'- municating with ahose 200. The cam 192 functions to effect vertical reciprocation of thecap transfer including the suction cup 198 to move the cup intoengagement with the lowermost cap 175 and then downwardly to withdrawthe cap from the magazine and deposit the same in the cap carrier 177which is formed with a central aperture to permit verticalreciprocationof the cap transfer through the cap carrying member. Y

When a cap has been withdrawn from the -magazine and deposited in thecarrier 177 of disk 41, the disk is indexed by the Geneva 179 and crank180 to position the cap underneath a cap heater 201. The timing of themachine is such that while the cap is being advanced from registrationwith the magazine 40 into registration with the cap heater 201, a bottlehas beenmoved from position B to position C.

The disk 41 is then indexed to move the heated cap in registration withthecap applying head 43,`this taking place while the bottle isadvanced-from position C to the elevator 37. The elevator is now movedupwardly by f the structure previously described, moving the top of thebottle indicated in dotted outline at 204, Figure 3, through the capcarrying member 177 and moving the heated cap upwardly into the closinghead 43. The closing head is disclosed particularly in Figures 12, 13and 14.

The closing head consists of an annular member 206 formed with aplurality of radially extending bosses 207 and on opposite sides withelongated bosses 208. The upper end of the member 206 is machinedcylindrically to t into a similarly machined depending boss 209 formedon the support 22. A U-shaped bracket 210 is secured to the under side-of the member 22, as by screws 211. The legs of the member 210 and thebosses 208 are apertured to receive pins 212. By4 this means, theannular member 206 is detachably secured to the supporting structure 22.

plug 215 threaded in the outer ends of the bosses; and ya compressionspring 216 is mounted upon each stem and interposed between the'plunger213 and the plug 215, whereby the plungers are yieldingly urged radiallyinwardly, see Figure 13. The inner ends of the plungers 213 t'orm pivotpoints for an annular series of cap contracting lingers, each of whichhas a depending portion 217' to which a jaw member 218 is attached. Theupper ends 219 of the fingers are encircled by a garter spring 220 whichfunctions to move the upper ends 219 inwardly against a conical cammember 221 and move the jaws 218 outwardly from the axis of the head.

The cap contracting fingers are arranged in radially extending slots 222formed in an insert 223 positioned in the lower end of the annular bodymember 206, the insert 223 being also formed with recesses 224 alinedwith the slots 222 and extending inwardly from its periphery. The innerends of the plungers 213 are positioned in these recesses 224. The cam221 has an upwardly extending stem portion 225 slidably mounted in asleeve 226 secured to the top surface of the supporting member 22, as byscrews 227. The stem 225 is formed with a central aperture in the lowerportion of which there is slidably mounted a stern 228.

The insert 223 is formed with a central annular depending ilange 229having a bore in which the stem 228 is slidably mounted. The stern 228is formed with an axially extending bore in which there is slidablymounted an inner stern 230 having a presser pad 231 at its lower end.The ange 229 and the sterft 228 are formed with transverse apertures toreceive a pin 232, and the lower portion of the inner stem 230 is formedwith a slot 233 through which the pin 232 extends. The pin 232 serves todetachably securevthe stem 228 to the body 206, and also serves to limitthe downward movement of the pad 231 and to detachably retain the padand the stem 230 in the stern 228. A compression coil spring 234 ispositioned in the cam stem 225, the lower end of the spring actingagainst the upper end of the stem 228. This serves to urge the cam stem225 upwardly to maintain the roller 235 against the cam 236 fixed on theend of the shaft 186. A similar spring 237 is positioned in the sleeve228 and acts against the upper end of the stem 230 and a pin 238extending transversely of the stem 228. This serves to yieldingly urgethe pad 231 downwardly to the extent permitted by pin 232 and slot 233.

The actuating drive mechanism of the machine functions so that when abottle is positioned on the elevator 37, a heated cap is positionedbelow the closing head and the elevator moves the bottle upwardly,moving the top of the bottle with the cap thereon through the annularseries of jaws 218, the pad 231 being engaged by the central discoidalportion of the cap and being moved upwardly against the action of spring237 to the position shown in Figure 13. Thereupon, the cam 236 moves thestem 225 downwardly, spreading the upper ends of the cap contractingiingers and moving the jaw portions 218 into engagement vwith the skirtof the cap. The cam 236 then permits the cam 231 to rise under theinfluence of the spring 234, spreading the jaws 218 by action of thespring 220, whereupon the elevator 37 descends returning the bottle inthe plane of the bottle guideway 31.

Removal of the pins 212 permits removal of the closing head structurefrom the support 22. Removal of the pin 232 permits disassembly of thestems 228, 230, whereby the head and its various parts may be readilycleaned and sterilized. A pin 240 is slidably mounted in a boss 2411 inregister with the outer end of the pin 32 and serves to preventaccidental displacement of the pin 232.

It will be observed, in the head structure described, the capcontracting fingers are mounted for independent movement in that thepivot plungers 213 are free to move radiallyoutwardly after the jaws 218exert a predetermined pressure against the neck` of the bottle. Thisarrangement effects the complete contraction of the overlapping pleatedportions of the cap skirt regardless of any irregularities in vthe formor shape of the bottle top,

and without `any .one finger exerting a pressure of such extent as wouldbe likely to break or damage the bottle.

The shaft 186 is rotated continuously by the motor 46. This means thatthe cap transfer 198 is reciprocated vertically into and out ofengagement with the lowermost cap of the magazine 40. Means is providedfor applying vacuum to the cup 198 when it is desired to withdraw a capfrom the magazine and deposit the same in the cap carrier 41.

A shaft 250 is journalled in bearing brackets 251 secured to the forwardside of the bed casting 39. There is journalled on the `shaft 259, foroscillation about the axis thereof, a member 252 having an outwardly anddownwardly extending boss 253` and an upwardly extending portion 254formed at its upper end with a slot extending in a directiontransversely of the bottle guide and in which there is mounted a block256 and which is retained therein by gib pieces 257 mounted on theportion 254, as by screws 25S. The block is adjustable toward and fromthe guideway and is fixed in adjusted position by a set screw 259, seeFigure 7. The block 256 is formed with a bore extending axially thereofand being of reduced dimension at its inner end. A plunger 266 isslidably mounted in this bore and is formed with a recess in which thereis arranged a compression spring 261 acting against a nlug 262 closingthe outer end of the bore in the block 256. rfhe inner end of theplunger 260 is of reduced diameter extending through the inner end wallof the block and is threaded to receive a stem 263, the outer end ofwhich has an enlarged head portion 264. The block is positioned so thatthe head 264 is in alinement with the concavity 80 in the bottleadvancing member 36 when the same is at the end of its return stroke, asshown in Figure 4.

The boss 253 is formed with an aperture in which there is mounted a stud265 and on the outer end of which there is journalled a roller 266, seeFigures 7 and 8. This roller engages a face cam 26S mounted upon theouter end of the shaft 161. The roller is maintained against the cam bya tension spring 269. The Vcam 268 functions to rock the member 252about the axis of the shaft 250, causing the block 256 to move towardand from the bottle guideway 31. The arrangement is such that when abottle is arranged in position B in the concavity 80, the cam 26S causesthe head member 264 to move inwardly into engagement with the bottle.Continued inward movement of the block 256 by the cam brings an aperture270 in the side wall of the member 260 in registration with the aperturein a hose fitting 271` to which the hose 200 is connected. The block 256is formed adjacent its outer end with a threaded aperture to receive afitting 272 which is connected to a vacuum pump 273 operated by themotor 46, see Figure 1.

With the plunger 260 in the position shown in Figure S, to which it hasbeen moved by engagement with a bottle, vacuum is applied to the captransfer cup 1593. This operation takes place during the dwell of thebottle advancing member 36 and the arrangement of the cam 268 is such asto maintain the vacuum until the transfer cup 19S has transferred a capfro-m the magazine 4) and deposited it in one of the cap holders 177,whereupon the cam 26S permits the spring 269 to swing the block 256outwardly and, as the head 264 is moved away from the bottle, the spring261 moves the plunger 260 inwardly, moving the passage 27th out ofregistration with the fitting 271, shutting olf the vacuum. The purposeof this arrangement is to prevent the cap transfer from withdrawing acap from the magazine when there will be no bottle in the advancingprocession to receive the cap. it will be noted that the cap-callmechanism just described is located two stations in advance of thebottle elevator 37 where the caps are sealed to the bottle tops by theclosing head ystructure 43, and that the cap magazine 40 is likewise,located two stations remote from the applying head so that as eachbottle enters the guideway at position B, it calls for a cap and thatcap is applied to the top of that bottle.

The roller 191 on' the cap transfer actuating link 190 is maintained inengagement with the periphery of the cam 192 by a tension spring 275,Figure 16, this spring servingto elevate the cap transfer 98 and the cam192 acting to move it downwardly. The caps are formed with their annularskirt portions'276 ared er depending downwardly, and are stacked in thisrelation in the magazine 40, see Figure 17. When the suction cup 198 ismoved upwardly into engagement with the lowermost cap, as illustrated inFigure 17, and then moved downwardly, the cap is withdrawn from themagazine over the abutments 176, with the result that the cap is dishedin the opposite direction with the skirt portion 276 now extendingupwardly, as shown in Figure 18. The cam 192 rotates in the direction ofthe arrow 277 and when the low surface 27S engages the roller 191, thesuction cup 198 is moved upwardly into engagement with the cap, as shownin Figure 17. vrl'he next adjacent higher portion 279 of the cam effectsdownward movement of the cup 198 sutiiciently to withdraw the cap fromthe magazine, as shown in Figure 18. The periphery of the cam has anadjacent lower surface 280 which effects return upward movement of thecup 198 sufficiently to move the central portion of the cap upwardlywhile the peripheral edge of the cap is in engagement with the undersides of the abutments 176. This effects a recupping of the cap with theskirt portion 276 again depending from the central portion of the cap,as illustrated in Figures 19, 20. The elongated high portion of the cam281 then effects complete downward movement of the suction cap asufficient distance to deposit the cap in the carrier 177 with the skirtportion 276 of the cap depending for proper application to the bottletop. This arrangement permits the caps to be stacked right side up inthe magazine 40.

What we claim is:

l. A capping head for applying hood caps to bottles comprising a bodymember, an annular series of cap engaging and contracting fingersarranged in the body and depending therefrom, an annular series of pivotmembers mounted in the body for movement radial of said annular seriesof fingers, each of said fingers being pivotally mounted intermediateits ends to a corresponding one of said pivot members, cam meanscooperable with the upper ends of said fingers to effect outward radialmovement thereof and inward radial movement of the lower portions ofsaid fingers, and means yieldingly urging said pivot membersy toward theaxis of said annular series of lingers.

2. A cap applying head for applying paper bood caps to bottlescomprising a body, an annular series of cap engaging fingers arranged inthe body and depending therefrom, an annular series of pivot membersmounted in the body for movement toward and from the axis of saidannularl series of fingers, each of said fingers being pivotally mountedintermediate its ends to a corresponding one of said pivot members,spring means associated with cach of said pivot members and beingoperable to yieldingly urge said members toward the axis of the body,means cooperable with each pivot member for adjusting the inwardmovement thereof, and cam means cooperable with the upper ends of thefingers for moving the same outwardly about said pivot members.

'3. A cap applying head for applying paper hood caps to bottlescomprising a body, an annular series of cap engaging fingers arranged inthe body and depending therefrom, an annular series of pivot membersmounted in the body for movement toward and from the axis of saidannular series of fingers, each of said fingers being pivotally mountedintermediate its ends to a corresponding one of said pivot members,spring means associated with each of said pivot members and beingoperable to yieldingly urge said members toward the axis of the body,means coope'rable with each pivot member for adjusting theinwardmovement thereof, and cam means movable axially of said body intoengagement with the upper ends of said iingers for moving the same aboutsaid pivot members.

4. A bottle capping machine comprising a base, a bottle guideway mountedon the base, a frame mounted on the base and overhanging said guideway,a cap applying head mounted on said frame and positioned above theguideway, a cap magazine mounted on the frame for supporting a supply ofcaps in stack formation, a turret journalled in the frame on a verticalaxis located intermediate said head and said magazine, a cap heatermounted on the frame, said turret being rotatable in a horizontal planebelow said head, cap magazine and heater, said turret being formed witha plurality of circumferentially spaced apart apertures in itsperipheral portion, said apertures being spaced complemental to thespacing between said magazine, heater and head, a cap transfer membermounted on the frame and being movable upwardly through the turret intoengagement with the lowermost cap in said stack and downwardly totransfer said cap onto the turret, motion transmitting means foroperating said cap transfer member and indexing said turret in timedrelation for the transfer of a cap from the magazine in registrationwith the heater and thence in registration with said head, and a bottleelevator operable to move a bottle top upwardly through the turret intosaid head, and said head being operable to apply a heated cap positionedon the turret to the bottle top.

5. A bottle capping machine comprising a base, a bottle guideway mountedon the base, a frame mounted on the base and overhanging said guideway,a cap applying head on said frame positioned above the guideway, a capcarrying turret journalled in said frame on a vertical axis and having aportion overhanging said guideway, a cap magazine mounted on the frameabove said turret for positioning a vertical stack of caps, a cap heatermounted on the frame above the turret, the axis of said turret beinglocated between said head and said magazine, and said heater beingpositioned intermediate said head and magazine, said turret being formedwith a series of apertures, each encircled by a cap carrying recessformed in the top surface of the turret, said apertures and recessesbeing located in the marginal portion of the turret and being spacedapart circumferentially of the turret for registration with themagazine, heater and said head respectively, a cap transfer membernormally positioned below the turretvin registration with said magazineand being movable upwardly through the aperture in the turret inregistration with the magazine into engagement with the lowermost cap insaid stack and downwardly to transfer a cap from the magazine into therecess encircling said aperture, bottle advancing means operable tointermittently advance bottles along said guideway successively inregistration with said head, and motion transmitting means operable toeffect intermittent indexing of said turret to advance caps depositedthereon by said cap transfer member into registration with the heaterand thence in registration with said head, reciprocation of said captransfer, and operation of said bottle advancing means in timedrelation, and a bottle elevator positioned in the guideway inregistration with said head for vertical reciprocation and operable tomove a bottle upwardly and the top of the bottle through an aperture inthe turret and into said head, and said head being operable upon suchelevation of a bottle to apply the cap positioned in the recessassociated with said last mentioned aperture to the top of the bottle.

6. A capping head for applying flexible hood caps to bottles comprisingan annular body, a circular series of plungers mounted in the body in acommon plane, said plungers being individually slidably mounted in thebody for radial movement toward and from the axis thereof, an annularseries of cap engaging ngers mounted in the body and dependingtherefrom, each of said fingers having a pivotal connection intermediateits ends with a corresponding one of said plungers, and means yieldinglyurging said plungers inwardly toward the axis of said annular series offingers.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,434,415 Taylor Nov. 7, 1922 1,503,521 Strandt Aug. 5, 1924 1,679,939Maw Aug. 7, 1928 2,076,116 Brinton Apr. 6, 1937 2,087,251 Gough July 20,1937 2,118,710 Lowry May 24, 1938 2,204,594 Hogg June 18, 1940 2,295,049Pityo Sept. 8, 1942 2,310,868 Price Feb. 9, 1943 2,325,164 Goodwin July27, 1943 2,349,523 Sonnenberg May 23, 1944 2,416,001 Goodwin Feb. 18,1947

